


Here With Me

by GalaxyKitty



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Other, fl4k cares about zane and wants him to be okay, soft kiss, this is just a soft story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:55:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25842409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyKitty/pseuds/GalaxyKitty
Summary: The story where Zane gets hurt and Fl4k wants him to be okay.And there's a kiss.
Relationships: FL4K/Zane Flynt
Comments: 10
Kudos: 71





	Here With Me

**Author's Note:**

> The tiny ship train continues, I say!!
> 
> For boo, as I squeaked about this story the whole time I was writing it.

Zane groaned, slowly coming back to consciousness as he felt a dull ache in his stomach and a humming in his ears. He carefully opened his eye, not wanting to be greeted by a bright room which would no doubt make his headache worse, but thankfully he found it was dark. Wherever he was, that is.

He frowned lightly, trying to remember what happened as he stared up at what appeared to be the ceiling of one of their tents he and the other vault hunters brought with them when they took on longer jobs. He remembers the four of them going to Eden 6 to help Jakobs and Hammerlock track down some gangs of bandits that have started hoarding an alarming number of guns and explosives. The group was able to find one of gangs’ camps quickly, appearing to be a construction of metal storage units and bridges forming multiple stories. Zane had called out that he would take one of the higher routes, climbing onto the nearest container unit and hoisting himself higher onto each bridge as he summoned his clone to fight beside him. He saw Moze down on the ground with her Iron Bear mech taking the front, Amara on the side watching her flank, and Fl4k’s pets were covering the other side as the occasional echo of a sniper rifle signaled they were taking out anyone who managed to escape the others. It was going well, Zane nodding to his clone as the two of them followed the bridges to get anyone who was trying to hide up top.

Then he remembers a door being kicked down to his left from one of the container units, the ringing of a shotgun, the eye of his clone going wide as he turned to Zane, air rushing past him as he was falling, and everything went dark.

He blinked up at the tent now, taking in a deep breath, and then there was a sound to his right. Something moving. He turned his head, blinking again as he gradually got himself to focus, and there, sitting on the ground next to him, was Fl4k. The bot was leaning against a wooden crate, a small lamp resting on top of that as the room was dimly lit, enough for Zane to make out what was around him, but not overwhelming. Fl4k’s eye, however, glowed a soft green that was unmistakable, Zane recognizing it right away. The bot’s posture was different than what Zane was so used to seeing, though, their shoulders lowered, hands resting on their lap, head tilted down slightly. They were watching Zane carefully, the operative guessing they had moved when they noticed him wake up, and he smiled softly.

“Hey, beastie.” He murmured, lifting a hand to his face to brush a bit of hair back that was falling over his forehead. “How are you doin’?”

Fl4k narrowed their eye at that, hands rising in their lap for a moment before settling back down.

“I am not the one here who needs to be concerned over.”

Zane gave a questioning hum, eye narrowing as well.

“What do ya mean by that?”

“You-“ Fl4k paused, straightening up more where they were sitting as they turned towards the operative. “You were injured during combat. You fell from the bridge above us, unconscious when we made it to you.”

“Oh.” Zane said, eye widening a bit. He hadn’t expected to get knocked unconscious, that was different, but he was awake now and not feeling too bad. He was quite aware of the ache in his stomach where he had gotten shot, realizing now that his headache must have come from when he landed on the ground and got knocked out of it, but he has certainly been through worse. Looking down at his stomach as well, he could see that his jacket and shirt had been removed while a white bandage was wrapped around his abdomen. He didn’t feel any need to worry; he had been taken care of. “No need to worry about me, I’ll be right better in no time.”

“You were injured.” Fl4k repeated, tone sounding rougher. “We all had a valid reason to be concerned.”

“Ah, nonsense.” The operative said, waving his hand in front of himself. “I’ve been through worse; this is nothin’.”

“That’s not the point.” Fl4k responded, almost immediately, and Zane put his hand down, resting it on his stomach as he looked at the other, eyebrows slightly lowered.

He couldn’t get a read on the bot’s expression, the room still dark and he was still trying to fully wake up, but for a moment the other looked… sad? Zane doesn’t remember Fl4k being sad before, unsure how that would look on the other.

He turned his head, thinking for a moment, and decided to try sitting up as he put his hands down on the mat he was lying on. He made it about half way up before he felt a sharp pain in his side, his right hand going straight over to hold it as he winced at the feeling, then there was Fl4k’s hand on his shoulder, guiding him to lie back down again.

“Do not stress yourself further. Stay here; I will get you water and something to eat.”

Fl4k stood up then, brushing past the exit of the tent, and Zane heard them murmur something before they walked away, footsteps receding into the distance. The operative closed his eye, sighing to himself, but hummed questioningly when he heard something shuffling by the tent entrance. He lifted his head up, only enough to see without putting any strain on his stomach again, and saw just as Mr. Chew stepped into the tent, tilting his head as he happily bounced over to lay next to him.

“Hey, boyo. What’re you doin’ here?” He asked as he lifted a hand to scratch the side of the skag’s head. The pet responded by rolling over, tongue sticking out happily, and Zane chuckled quietly.

Mr. Chew stayed by his side the whole time while Fl4k was away, and when the other returned, they carried a bottle of water and one of the various bags of snacks the group brought along. They sat down back at their spot to Zane’s right, setting the items down, but glanced at the operative for a second.

“Lift your head for a moment.” They said, and Zane did so carefully, watching as the bot took his pillow and folded it in half to let Zane sit up more without adding pressure to his wound. They handed the operative the water bottle, and he took it silently, loosening the cap to take a long sip. The snacks ended up resting on his lap, and he took small bites, occasionally eyeing the other sitting next to him, but continued to stay quiet.

Eventually, when the snacks were gone and his water bottle was almost empty as it sat next to him, he settled his pillow back down to lie back once more. He closed his eye, since there didn’t seem to be anything else for him to do besides lying there, and soon zoned out as he fell asleep.

…

The next day, Zane was feeling a lot better, able to sit up by himself as he held a plate of food in his hand that Amara brought to him. She was sitting by the entrance, keeping him company for a bit as the two of them talked, and this time Broodless was resting by his side. Amara updated him on their mission and what they’ve done since he was out of it, saying that she and Moze found another bandit camp along with notes on what they were planning to do while Fl4k stayed behind to watch over him. Zane huffed a laugh at that, smiling but rolling his eye.

“I wish I could’ve joined ya. It’s so boring being here with nothin’ to do since Fl4k is making me stay in bed all day. I’m surprised they’re not here right now!”

Amara hummed lightly, but her face went soft, giving him a sympathetic look.

“They were really worried about you.” She said, and Zane knit his eyebrows together in confusion, tilting his head to the side for her to go on. “They were the first one to reach you after you fell that day. They picked you up then and carried you all the way here. Even when we were in the car on the way back to camp, I was sitting in the back with them while Moze was driving, and they kept you in their arms. Luckily there was a doctor at the closest town here, so we had him come here to patch you up, but Fl4k wouldn’t leave your side, even after the doctor was done and said you’d be fine. Moze and I thought about asking you if you knew something, because we’ve… never seen them act so unsettled before.”

Zane parted his lips to respond, but stayed quiet, the words sinking in as he went over them in his mind again. Broodless nudged his arm then, and Zane turned to her for a moment, petting the side of her head as he thought about how it was odd to see any of Fl4k’s pets away from them.

And that’s when it finally clicked.

“Oh…” Zane said softly, keeping his eye on Broodless as he continued to pet her. “Oh.”

It was all he could say right now.

Amara left not too long after that, leaving Zane to himself with Broodless. He thought back to Fl4k, remembering how he noticed differences in the bot’s demeanor as well. He hadn’t realized what it could mean before, but after hearing what had happened when he was out…

The corner of his lips curved upwards in a small smile.

“Your owner’s a real softie, huh?” He murmured to the spiderant as she leaned into his hand.

He wasn’t surprised to see Fl4k return to the tent a few minutes later, a fresh water bottle in hand to set down next to the operative as they moved to their usual spot to sit once more. Zane gave the other an appreciative look, picking up the bottle to take a sip, then turned to Fl4k, smile never leaving.

“I’m feelin’ a lot better today.” He started, chuckling a bit as Fl4k watched him carefully. “I have the meds the doc gave me, we just gotta wait until they finally kick in, then I’ll be good as new.”

Fl4k nodded, humming in agreement, and Zane’s expression lightened. He scooted over a bit to get closer to the other, Fl4k curving their eye slightly in question, but didn’t do anything to stop him.

When Zane was finally close enough, he lifted his right hand up, reaching towards the other. His fingers brushed against Fl4k’s cheek, slowly moving until he could lay his hand flat, two fingers tucked under the side to hold their head up. Fl4k’s eye widened, but they didn’t move, staying quiet, and Zane leaned forward.

Zane wasn’t sure what exactly to do here, but he had an idea in mind and gently pressed his lips under Fl4k’s eye, a little to the left, across from his hand. It wasn’t cold like Zane had thought it would feel, and it was… surprisingly nice. Comforting as he lingered. However, it only lasted a few seconds, Zane then leaning back and moving his hand away. He gave the other a warm smile though, hand resting back in his lap.

“I’ll be okay.”

Zane then went to move back to his temporary bed, looking back at it, but before he could get any farther, there was a hand cupping his cheek, turning his head back to look at the other. He parted his lips in surprise, then his head was tilted down slightly as Fl4k pressed their foreheads together.

It was quiet, Zane breathing slowly as the two of them stayed like that, neither making any movements. The operative blinked, wondering what this was, then he felt his cheeks warm up at one thought. Was this Fl4k’s way of returning the gesture? Since they didn’t exactly have lips… was this what they did instead?

“That is…” Fl4k’s said quietly, their voice low but gentle. “Good to hear.”

Another moment passed, then finally Fl4k leaned back, Zane doing the same as he blinked up at the other. Another moment of quiet, then the operative chuckled softly.

“Yeah, it is.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! I hope you enjoyed the story!! (also, the title is secretly "I need you here with me" but the "I need you" is unspoken)
> 
> Once again, since this is a tiny ship, any kudos/comments would be super helpful and appreciated so I can tell there are others here!!
> 
> I have the outline made for another story. There are plans, and more kisses, and more scenes!! I haven't started it yet, but soon!! Soon!!


End file.
